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In the wake of more than fifty editions exploring the international Black diaspora, this represents a final column. The experience was profoundly rewarding, and great thanks extended to every one of the attentive followers.

Exploring Accra Cultural Week

Visiting the showcases, presentations and performances of Accra Cultural Week, one sees how exceptional art sustains and builds a country’s history and essence. The centrepiece was without doubt Serge Attukwei Clottey’s exquisite a profound exploration of ritual and time, which put his pioneering afrogallonism for all to see: a concept that transforms yellow jerrycans into illusory creations, assemblages of metallic tones. The show was conceived as a testament to the strength of Jamestown, a historic neighbourhood of Accra.

The community – largely home to the Ga people, a community of fishermen – is also where a great number of freed slaves arrived from Brazil and made their home in the 19th century. Referred to as the Tabom people, they brought Brazilian language and traditions.

All across Jamestown, one observes a fusion of architectural styles. You'll find a historic building, featuring its unique colonial-era construction and curved entrances. Also present is the iconic beacon, erected in the 19th century and later sporting its recognizable striped appearance.

A Culture of Remembrance

Equally remarkable about Jamestown is the ubiquitous sight of funeral posters. Everywhere you turn, be it covering buildings or on big hoardings, you’ll see announcements and expressions of loss. In Jamestown, as throughout Ghana, memorial services are large-scale communal events.

In Clottey’s breathtaking show, every aspect of the sights, sounds and religious textures of Jamestown are captured – particularly in the enveloping beach-themed work. Within it, visitors are calmed by the recording of the sea with beach material on the floor, while shacks, nets and images of vessels honour its vibrant, long-standing maritime community. However standing in this exhibition space, the mind turns to the heaps of discarded clothing that threaten the beauty and tranquillity of the region.

In Addition to the Centrepiece

The festival program included much more. Within an incomplete building at the local university, artist Sylvester exhibited On the Other Side of Languish, an incredibly moving, minimalist presentation that displayed sculptures and artworks produced in partnership with artisans.

Also featured was the competition for female artists for female Ghanaian artists. It included the inaugural exhibition of a 2024 laureate, whose work draws on historical documents to create a depiction of life in the nation's recent history. The event also crowned a new winner, whose diverse work is deeply invested in the craft techniques of women in the Volta region.

An Enduring Legacy

While the global African community has grown been pulled back to west Africa in the colder season, more and more are thinking about travelling for the cultural season to engage with the area's cultural season. Between this festival and similar gatherings, what emerges are art scenes that are not merely nascent or “rising” but have built up an entire landscape that is here to stay.

Finally, the experience provides a perception of Accra that serves as a declaration for environmental protection and the safeguarding of heritage. It is a resonant testament to perseverance in all its forms.